Greetings Colleagues,
I hope you have had a nice weekend and a reflective Memorial Day. I'm reposting several funding opportunities still in play from previous announcements. 
--Iwan

FROM MAY 7th.

NSF Racial Equity in STEM Education  (EHR Racial Equity) Full Proposal Due: July 13, 2021 

https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505910&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund 

Persistent racial injustices and inequalities in the United States have led to renewed concern and interest in addressing systemic racism.  The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) seeks to support bold, ground-breaking, and potentially transformative projects addressing systemic racism in STEM. Proposals should advance racial equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce development through research (both fundamental and applied) and practice.  Core to this funding opportunity is that proposals are led by, or developed and led in authentic partnership with, individuals and communities most impacted by the inequities caused by systemic racism.  The voices, knowledge, and experiences of those who have been impacted by enduring racial inequities should be at the center of these proposals, including in, for example:   project leadership and research positions, conceptualization of the proposal, decision-making processes, and the interpretation and dissemination of evidence and research results. The proposed work should provide positive outcomes for the individuals and communities engaged and should recognize peoples’ humanity, experiences, and resilience. Proposals need to consider systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits, and how these barriers impact access to, retention in, and success in STEM education, research, and workforce development. Competitive proposals will be clear with respect to how the work advances racial equity and addresses systemic racism, as these constructs may have different meanings in different settings.   

Proposals should articulate a rigorous plan to generate knowledge through research (both fundamental and applied) and practice, such as, but not limited to:  

Contexts may include, but are not limited to: preK-12, two- and four-year undergraduate, and graduate institutions; municipal organizations; STEM workplaces; and informal STEM contexts, such as museums, community organizations, and media. 

 

COMMENT: This is a new funding competition from the National Science Foundation focused on projects addressing systemic and institutionally embedded racial inequities. 

 

The next group of six NSF funding opportunities are in disciplines addressed by the behavioral and social sciences divisions. UTSA faculty working in psychology, special education, counseling, language education, and justice studies should review these solicitations for crossover into their disciplines. In addition, early career faculty working in these disciplines may find interest in these funding programs to connect to applying for an NSF CAREER grant. 

 

NSF Linguistics Full Proposal Due: July 15, 2021 

https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5408&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund 

The Linguistics Program supports basic science in the domain of human language, encompassing investigations of the grammatical properties of individual human languages, and of natural language in general. Research areas include syntax, semantics, morphology, phonetics, and phonology. 

The program encourages projects that are interdisciplinary in methodological or theoretical perspective, and that address questions that cross disciplinary boundaries, such as (but not limited to): 

Because NSF's mandate is to support basic research, the Linguistics Program does not fund research that takes as its primary goal improved clinical practice or applied policy, nor does it support work to develop or assess pedagogical methods or tools for language instruction. 

 

NSF Perception, Action & Cognition  (PAC) Full Proposal Due: Research Proposals—July 15, 2021; Conference Proposals—June 15, 2021 

https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5686&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund 

The PAC program funds theoretically motivated research on a wide-range of topic areas related to typical human behavior with particular focus on perceptual, motor, and cognitive processes and their interactions. Central research topics for consideration by the program include (but are not limited to) vision, audition, haptics, attention, memory, written and spoken language, spatial cognition, motor control, categorization, reasoning, and concept formation. Of particular interest are emerging areas, such as the interaction of sleep or emotion with cognitive or perceptual processes, epigenetics of cognition, computational models of cognition, and cross-modal and multimodal processing. The program welcomes a wide range of perspectives, such as individual differences, symbolic and neural-inspired computation, ecological approaches, genetics and epigenetics, nonlinear dynamics and complex systems, and a variety of methodologies spanning the range of experimentation and modeling.  The PAC program is open to co-review of proposals submitted to other programs both within the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate and across other directorates.   

Note: Proposals may be returned without review if the major focus is 1) the organization of neural activity or brain networks; 2) understanding clinical populations; or 3) non-human animals without a clear and direct impact on our understanding of human perception, action, or cognition. Investigators are encouraged to send the program director a one-page summary of the proposed research before submitting a proposal, in order to determine its appropriateness for the PAC program. 

 

NSF Social Psychology Full Proposal Due: July 15, 2021 

https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5712&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund 

The Social Psychology Program at NSF supports research and research infrastructure to advance basic knowledge in social psychology. Projects funded by the Social Psychology Program support the NSF mission to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense. Proposals considered by the Social Psychology Program must communicate both the intellectual merit of the science and its broader societal impacts. 

Proposed research should carry strong potential for creating transformative advances in the basic understanding of human social behavior.  Among the many research topics supported are: social cognition, attitudes, social and cultural influence, stereotypes, motivation, decision making, group dynamics, aggression, close relationships, social and affective neuroscience, social psychophysiology, emotions, prosocial behavior, health-related behavior, and personality and individual differences.  Proposals that develop new theories or methods for understanding social behavior are highly encouraged.  Research samples should represent substantial ranges of ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, cultures, and other dimensions of human populations. 

 

NSF Biological Anthropology Full Proposal Due: July 20, 2021 

https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5407&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund 

The Biological Anthropology Program supports basic research in areas related to human evolution and contemporary human biological variation. Research areas supported by the program include, but are not limited to, human genetic variation, human and nonhuman primate ecology and adaptability, human osteology and bone biology, human and nonhuman primate paleontology, functional anatomy, and primate socioecology. Grants supported in these areas are united by an underlying evolutionary framework, and often by a consideration of adaptation as a central theoretical theme. Proposals may also have a biocultural or bioarchaeological orientation. The program frequently serves as a bridge within NSF between the social and behavioral sciences and the natural and physical sciences, and proposals commonly are jointly reviewed and funded with other programs. 

 

NSF Law & Science (LS) Full Proposal Due: August 2, 2021 

https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505704&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund 

The Law & Science Program considers proposals that address social scientific studies of law and law-like systems of rules, as well as studies of how science and technology are applied in legal contexts. The Program is inherently interdisciplinary and multi-methodological. Successful proposals describe research that advances scientific theory and understanding of the connections between human behavior and law, legal institutions, or legal processes; or the interactions of law and basic sciences, including biology, computer and information sciences, STEM education, engineering, geosciences, and math and physical sciences. Scientific studies of law often approach law as dynamic, interacting with multiple arenas, and with the participation of multiple actors. Fields of study include many disciplines, and often address problems including, though not limited, to: 

 

LS supports the following types of proposals: 

 

NSF Science and Technology Studies Full Proposal Due: August 3, 2021 

https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505697&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund 

The Science and Technology Studies (STS) program supports research that uses historical, philosophical, and social scientific methods to investigate the intellectual, material, and social facets of the scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical (STEM) disciplines. It encompasses a broad spectrum of topics including interdisciplinary studies of ethics, equity, governance, and policy issues that are closely related to STEM disciplines. 

 

NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources  (IUSE: EHR) Full Proposal Due: July 21, 2021 

https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505082&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund 

The fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) hold much promise as sectors of the economy where we can expect to see continuous vigorous growth in the coming decades. STEM job creation is expected to outpace non-STEM job creation significantly, according to the Commerce Department, reflecting the importance of STEM knowledge to the US economy. 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) plays a leadership role in developing and implementing efforts to enhance and improve STEM education in the United States.  Through the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) initiative, the agency continues to make a substantial commitment to the highest caliber undergraduate STEM education through a Foundation-wide framework of investments. The IUSE: EHR is a core NSF STEM education program that seeks to promote novel, creative, and transformative approaches to generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for undergraduate students.  The program is open to application from all institutions of higher education and associated organizations. NSF places high value on educating students to be leaders and innovators in emerging and rapidly changing STEM fields as well as educating a scientifically literate public. In pursuit of this goal, IUSE: EHR supports projects that seek to bring recent advances in STEM knowledge into undergraduate education, that adapt, improve, and incorporate evidence-based practices into STEM teaching and learning, and that lay the groundwork for institutional improvement in STEM education.  In addition to innovative work at the frontier of STEM education, this program also encourages replication of research studies at different types of institutions and with different student bodies to produce deeper knowledge about the effectiveness and transferability of findings. 

IUSE: EHR also seeks to support projects that have high potential for broader societal impacts, including improved diversity of students and instructors participating in STEM education, professional development for instructors to ensure adoption of new and effective pedagogical techniques that meet the changing needs of students, and projects that promote institutional partnerships for collaborative research and development. IUSE: EHR especially welcomes proposals that will pair well with the efforts of NSF INCLUDES (https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/nsfincludes/index.jsp) to develop STEM talent from all sectors and groups in our society.  

For all the above objectives, the National Science Foundation invests primarily in evidence-based and knowledge-generating approaches to understand and improve STEM learning and learning environments, improve the diversity of STEM students and majors, and prepare STEM majors for the workforce.  In addition to contributing to STEM education in the host institution(s), proposals should have the promise of adding more broadly to our understanding of effective teaching and learning practices. The IUSE: EHR program features two tracks: (1) Engaged Student Learning and (2) Institutional and Community Transformation.  

 

COMMENT: UTSA currently has an IUSE-HSI, which at the time had a limit of one Track 1 “planning grant” per institution. For the general IUSE categories, this limitation does not apply See https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20043/nsf20043.pdf 

 

NSF ADVANCE: Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions  (ADVANCE) 

https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5383&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund 

The NSF ADVANCE program contributes to the National Science Foundation's goal of a more diverse and capable science and engineering workforce. In this solicitation, the NSF ADVANCE program seeks to build on prior NSF ADVANCE work and other research and literature concerning gender, racial, and ethnic equity. The NSF ADVANCE program goal is to broaden the implementation of evidence-based systemic change strategies that promote equity for STEM faculty in academic workplaces and the academic profession. The NSF ADVANCE program provides grants to enhance the systemic factors that support equity and inclusion and to mitigate the systemic factors that create inequities in the academic profession and workplaces. Systemic (or organizational) inequities may exist in areas such as policy and practice as well as in organizational culture and climate. For example, practices in academic departments that result in the inequitable allocation of service or teaching assignments may impede research productivity, delay advancement, and create a culture of differential treatment and rewards. Similarly, policies and procedures that do not mitigate implicit bias in hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions could lead to women and racial and ethnic minorities being evaluated less favorably, perpetuating historical under-participation in STEM academic careers and contributing to an academic climate that is not inclusive. 

All NSF ADVANCE proposals are expected to use intersectional approaches in the design of systemic change strategies in recognition that gender, race and ethnicity do not exist in isolation from each other and from other categories of social identity. The solicitation includes four funding tracks:  Institutional Transformation (IT), Adaptation, Partnership, and Catalyst, in support of the NSF ADVANCE program goal to broaden the implementation of systemic strategies that promote equity for STEM faculty in academic workplaces and the academic profession. 

 

 

NSF Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers  (ITEST) Full Proposal Due: August 13, 2021 

https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5467&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund 

ITEST is an applied research and development (R&D) program providing direct student learning opportunities in pre-kindergarten through high school (PreK-12). The learning opportunities are based on innovative use of technology to strengthen knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers. To achieve this purpose, ITEST supports projects that engage students in technology-rich experiences that: (1) increase awareness and interest of STEM and ICT occupations; (2) motivate students to pursue appropriate education pathways to those occupations; and (3) develop STEM-specific disciplinary content knowledge and practices that promote critical thinking, reasoning, and communication skills needed for entering the STEM and ICT workforce of the future. 

ITEST seeks proposals that pursue innovative instructional approaches and practices in formal and informal learning environments, in close collaboration with strategic partnerships. ITEST proposals should broaden participation of all students, particularly those in underrepresented and underserved groups in STEM fields and related education and workforce domains. ITEST supports three types of projects: (1) Exploring Theory and Design Principles (ETD); (2) Developing and Testing Innovations (DTI); and (3) Scaling, Expanding, and Iterating Innovations (SEI). ITEST also supports Synthesis and Conference proposals. 

All ITEST proposals must address how they are (A) designing innovations that meet ITEST program goals which include innovative use of technologies, innovative learning experiences, STEM workforce development, strategies for broadening participation, and strategic partnerships; and (B) measuring outcomes through high-quality research which includes high-quality research design, project evaluation, and dissemination of findings. 

 

COMMENT: The ITEST program is similar in terms of intended service recipients to the NSF Discovery Research K-12. 

 

NEH Public Humanities Projects Applications available: June 11, 2021; Deadline to apply: August 11, 2021 

https://www.neh.gov/grants/public/public-humanities-projects 

The Public Humanities Projects program supports projects that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to life for general audiences through in-person programming.  Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history. 

Public Humanities Projects supports projects in three program categories (Exhibitions, Historic Places, and Humanities Discussions), and at two funding levels (Planning and Implementation). Regardless of proposed activity, NEH encourages applicants to explore humanities ideas through multiple formats.  Proposed projects may include complementary components: for example, a museum exhibition might be accompanied by a website or mobile app. 

 

Lever for Change Stronger Democracy Award Organizational registration due June 22, 2021; online applications due July 22, 2021. Must complete Organizational Readiness Tool at https://www.strongerdemocracyaward.org/readiness-tool  

https://www.strongerdemocracyaward.org/  

The Stronger Democracy Award funds solutions to drive structural reforms to help improve political representation and increase participation of all citizens in the United States democratic process. The Award will fund bold solutions to address systemic barriers and advance structural reforms in one of the following key areas: voting and elections, policymaking, and civic engagement. The focus is on innovative, long-term, and scale-ready solutions that drive structural reform to help the U.S. government to more fully and effectively represent its people. The winner of the award will receive $10 million, and one of the remaining finalists will receive $2 million.  

 

 

Institute for Education Studies projects 

 

***THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF PAST FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES IN PREPARATION FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS TO COME*** 

 

The following Institute for Education Studies former RFAs are provided in anticipation of new notifications being released in June 2021. We expect the categories for the different applications to be the same as last year. Check this site https://ies.ed.gov/funding/21rfas.asp to monitor if the new RFAs are released. Last year (2020), the RFA’s came out on June 11, 2020. 

 

FY 2021 Requests for Applications—The various Requests for Applications describe the substantive requirement for research and research training applications. IES will post the FY 2021 Requests for Applications on this page as they become available. 

 

Education Research and Training Grant Programs — 

 

Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice (FY 2021) – 83.305N  

CLOSED Application deadline | February 25, 2021 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84305N.pdf  

In this competition, NCER requests applications to form Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice (Networks). The Networks program focuses resources and attention on education problems or issues that are a high priority for the nation and that create both a structure and process for researchers who are working on these issues to share ideas, build new knowledge, and strengthen their research and dissemination capacity. Networks advance the field’s understanding of a probem or issue beyond what an individual research project or team is able to do on its own and to assist policymakers and practitioners in using this information to strengthen education policies and programs and improve learner education outcomes. 

For FY 2021, IES invites proposals on two topics: 

  1. Building Adult Skills and Attainment through Technology Research Network (Adult Skills Network) 
  2. Digital Learning Platforms to Enable Efficient Education Research Network (Digital Learning Platforms Network) 

 

Transformative Research in the Education Sciences (FY 2021) – 83.305T  

CLOSED Application deadline | February 25, 2021 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84305T.pdf 

The Transformative Research in the Education Sciences Grants program supports innovative or unconventional research that has the potential to lead to new scientific paradigms,novel and more effective approaches to education practice or policy, or transformative technologies that substantially increase learner outcomes. Such innovation may require perspectives and experiences not typically represented in education research, and for that reason, applications are sought that reflect the full diversity of the nation’s research workforce. Individuals from diverse backgrounds and from the full spectrum of eligible institutions in all geographic locations are strongly encouraged to apply to this program. Transformative Research Award applicants should propose research that is substantially different from current research. The innovation may be technical, conceptual, or a combination of both. Applicants must clearly demonstrate the potential to produce a major impact in an area relevant to IES’s mission. For this competition, IES defines major impact as an unusually broad and meaningful improvement in learner outcomes. 

 

Education Research (FY 2021) – 84.305A  

CLOSED Application deadline | August 20, 2020 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84305A.pdf 

NCER invites applications for research projects that will contribute to its Education Research Grants program (CFDA 84.305A). To encourage rigorous education research that is transparent, actionable, and focused on meaningful outcomes, all applications to the FY 2021 Education Research Grants program are expected to incorporate the principles outlined in the IES-wide Standards for Excellence in Education Research (SEER; https://ies.ed.gov/seer/), as applicable. These principles include 

Collectively, IES-funded research should yield outcomes and products that are meaningful, inform stakeholders about the cost and practical benefits and effects of interventions (programs, policies, practices) on relevant outcomes for learners, and contribute to scientific knowledge and theory of teaching, learning, and organizing education systems. NCER expects researchers receiving funding through this program to disseminate evidence in a way that is useful to and accessible by educators, parents, policymakers, researchers, and the public. 

 

Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences (FY 2021) – 84.305B 

CLOSED Application deadline | August 20, 2020 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84305B.pdf 

The specific purpose of IES-supported training programs is to further the training of education researchers, including state and local education agency staff. In doing so, IES aims to increase the quality, accessibility, use, and relevance of education research. 

In this Request for Applications (RFA), NCER invites applications for training projects that will contribute to its Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences (Research Training). For FY 2021, IES is accepting applications for training under three programs: 

• Pathways to the Education Sciences (Pathways Training Program) 

• Postdoctoral Research Training in the Education Sciences (Postdoctoral Training Program) 

• Methods Training Program for Education Researchers (Methods Training Program) 

IES training programs prepare individuals to conduct rigorous education research supported by IES across its research competitions, advance knowledge within the field, and address issues important to education policymakers and practitioners. As part of the programs, IES supports 

 

Education Research and Development Centers (FY 2021) – 84.305C  

CLOSED Application deadline | August 20, 2020 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84305C.pdf 

Through its National Center for Education Research (NCER), the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) supports a sustained program of research to build knowledge and understanding of education practice and policy. The program’s four intended outcomes are - 

  1. Improved access to a high-quality education for all learners from early childhood through adulthood, particularly those at risk of failure 
  2. Improved academic achievement for all learners from early childhood through adulthood, particularly those at risk of failure 
  3. Reduced opportunity and achievement gaps between high-performing and low-performing learners 
  4. Improved access to, persistence in, progress through, and successful completion of postsecondary education 

Through this Request for Applications (RFA), IES invites applications for a research center that will contribute to its Education Research and Development Center program (CFDA 84.305C). Under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, IES supports National Research and Development Centers (R&D Centers) that conduct focused, scientific research on key education issues that face our nation. Through this program, researchers have greater resources than are available through the Education Research Grants program to tackle more complex education problems, create innovative education solutions to these problems, and contribute to knowledge and theory in the education sciences. For information on existing IES R&D Centers, please see https://ies.ed.gov/ncer/research/randdCenters.asp 

 

Statistical and Research Methodology in Education (FY 2021) – 84.305D  

CLOSED Application deadline | July 30, 2020 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84305D.pdf 

IES invites applications for research projects that will contribute to its Statistical and Research Methodology in Education (Methods) grant program (CFDA 84.305D). IES’s mission is to provide rigorous evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and to encourage its use. The Methods program supports the development of a wide range of methodological and statistical products, including new or improved methods, guidelines and software, to better enable applied education scientists to conduct rigorous education research. Researchers should plan to disseminate their products to applied education researchers who may use them in their own work as well as to methods researchers who may further develop or make use of them. 

 

Research Grants Focused on Systematic Replication (FY 2021) – 84.305R  

CLOSED Application deadline | August 20, 2020 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84305R.pdf 

IES invites applications for Research Grants Focused on Systematic Replication (CFDA 34.305R). Systematic replication studies1 that vary one or more aspects of a previous study contribute to a better understanding of what interventions improve education outcomes and the conditions under which they will likely work and for whom. 

In FY 2021, IES invites applications using one of two different approaches: 

  1. Systematic Replications: These projects will systematically replicate an intervention by varying at least one aspect of a prior impact study. For example, researchers could vary the geographical location; the population of learners, educators, and/or schools; and/or features of the intervention implementation and delivery. 
  2. Systematic Replications Using Digital Platforms: These projects will systematically replicate an intervention that is either currently available through a widely used digital platform or can readily be embedded within such a platform prior to the evaluation. These replications will involve varying at least one aspect of a prior impact study, such as the geographical location; the population of learners, educators, and/or schools; and/or the intervention implementation. 

 

Using Longitudinal Data to Support State Education Policymaking (FY 2021) – 84.305S  

CLOSED Application deadline |  July 30, 2020 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84305S.pdf 

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) seeks to expand state education agencies’ use of their state longitudinal data systems (SLDS) to provide evidence for use when making policy decisions. State education agencies (SEAs) can apply for these grants, on their own or in collaboration with other organizations, to analyze the data in their own SLDS in order to examine long-term trends in key issues, programs, and policies affecting learner outcomes. SLDSs are designed to help states, districts, schools, educators, and other stakeholders to make data informed decisions to improve student learning and outcomes as well as to facilitate research to increase student achievement and close achievement gaps. In addition to a set of common K-12 student data elements such as student demographics, grade level, enrollment and completion, attendance, state assessment scores, many of these systems include other K-12 student elements and link K-12 student data to other data including K-12 teacher data, prekindergarten data, postsecondary data, Perkins CTE data, workforce data, and health and human services data. Over the past 15 years and through 6 rounds of SLDS funding, 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa have received at least one SLDS grant. 

IES supports the research use of SLDS through its research grants programs and its Grants for Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems. The Using Data grant program further extends this support with an emphasis on examining longer term student pathways and outcomes that has become possible as SLDS follow student cohorts for longer periods and include more cohorts. The type of research to be supported by the Using Data grant program may take different forms. For example, retrospective analyses of the progress of students in previous cohorts may identify factors or pathways that could predict successful student outcomes for future cohorts. Current outcomes of students who took part in a program in the past could be examined to help assess the longer term results of the program. Students recently or currently involved in a program could be followed through the life of the project to check their future outcomes. Cohorts from before and after a policy was implemented could be compared to see if their if their longer term impacts differed. The type of research proposed should be aligned with what the SEA wants to know about the issue, program, or policy and the findings should have practical implications for the SEA’s decision making. 

 

Special Education Research and Training Grant Programs — 

 

Special Education Research (FY 2021) – 84.324A  

CLOSED Application deadline | August 20, 2020 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84324A.pdf 

IES invites applications that will significantly advance teaching and learning for students with disabilities from birth through postsecondary education. As an applied science agency, NCSER invites applications that address practical problems facing the education of children and youth with disabilities. We encourage applicants to propose new and different structures or ways of thinking about teaching and learning and the educational systems that support students. Projects should yield outcomes and products that are meaningful, inform stakeholders about the cost and practical benefits and effects that programs, policies, and practices have on relevant outcomes for children and youth with disabilities, and contribute to scientific knowledge and theory of teaching, learning, and organizing education systems. NCSER expects researchers receiving funding through this program to disseminate evidence in a way that is useful to and accessible by educators, parents, policymakers, researchers, and the public. 

All research supported under CFDA 84.324A must address student outcomes that are important for success in school and afterwards for children and youth with disabilities. Eligible outcomes (described in more detail in Part II) include developmental, school readiness, academic, social/behavioral, functional, secondary/transition, and postsecondary outcomes. 

 

Research Training Programs in Special Education (FY 2021) – 84.324B  

CLOSED Application deadline | August 20, 2020 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84324B.pdf 

IES invites applications for the Research Training Programs in Special Education (Training) (CFDA 84.324B). For FY 2021, IES is accepting applications under two programs: 

• Early Career Development and Mentoring (Early Career) 

• Methods Training for Special Education Research (Methods Training) 

IES training programs prepare individuals to conduct special education and early intervention research that advances knowledge within the field and addresses issues important to education policymakers and practitioners. The Early Career program builds the next generation of special education and early intervention researchers. The Methods Training program supports training of current special education and early intervention researchers to expand and upgrade their methodological skills. 

 

Research Grants Focused on NAEP Process Data for Learners with Disabilities – 84.324P  

CLOSED Application deadline | August 20, 2020 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84324P.pdf 

IES invites applications to conduct research focused on NAEP Process Data for Learners with Disabilities (NAEP-P). The goal of this competition is to use data from the 2017 eighth grade NAEP mathematics assessment to generate evidence that improves our understanding of the link between test-taking behavior and mathematics performance for learners with disabilities and contributes to the larger body of evidence on improving mathematics outcomes for these learners. Results are expected to improve the future development and administration of digital  learning assessments, identify needed enhancements to mathematics instruction, and highlight areas where further research is needed. 

Projects may address a variety of questions. For example – 

 

Research Grants Focused on Systematic Replication (FY 2021) – 84.324R  

CLOSED Application deadline | August 20, 2020 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84324R.pdf 

IES invites applications for Research Grants Focused on Systematic Replication in Special Education (CFDA 34.324R). Systematic replication studies1 that vary one or more aspects of a previous study contribute to a better understanding of what interventions improve education outcomes and the conditions under which they will likely work and for whom. 

In FY 2021, IES invites applications using one of two different approaches: 

  1. Systematic Replications: These projects will systematically replicate an intervention by varying at least one aspect of a prior impact study. For example, researchers could vary the geographical location; the population of learners, educators, and/or schools; and/or features of the intervention implementation and delivery. 
  2. Systematic Replications Using Digital Platforms: These projects will systematically replicate an intervention that is either currently available through a widely used digital platform or can readily be embedded within such a platform prior to the evaluation. These replications will involve varying at least one aspect of a prior impact study, such as the geographical location; the population of learners, educators, and/or schools; and/or the intervention implementation. 

Under both approaches, IES will support replication studies that evaluate an intervention when implemented under routine conditions (Effectiveness Replications) and evaluations that provide more support than is typically provided under routine conditions (Efficacy Replications). 

These projects should allow for the following: 

 

OLDER OPPORTUNITIES NOT CLOSED


John Templeton Foundation Character Through Community Online Funding Inquiry (OFI) due June 11, 2021 

https://www.templeton.org/internal-competiton-fund/character-through-community  

https://www.templeton.org/character-through-community-rfp-details-and-instructions  

The Character Virtue Development department at the John Templeton Foundation invites proposals from organizations that seek to strengthen their understanding and practice of character development through communities of practice.  Many non-profit organizations that exist today are focused on scaling innovative solutions to complex social problems. Scaling programs is an important and often effective way to increase research and impact, but bringing a program to scale offers unique challenges for organizations that are interested in character development. Successful character development depends upon a range of factors including the presence of close relationships with a trusted adult or mentor, a strong purpose, robust cultural norms, and the opportunity to practice and grow in character over time. Of course, organizations must also focus on their financial health as well. Developing and maturing these diverse program components takes time, staff investment, and financial resources. In brief, many character-focused organizations need to focus on strength before scale. 

 

Transformational Partnerships Fund rolling applications (see website with details on inquiring) 

https://www.higheredpartnerships.org/  

The Transformational Partnerships Fund (TPF) supports colleges and universities interested in exploring partnerships that could fundamentally improve how they operate and serve students — especially students of color, students from low-income families, and other underserved populations. TPF was established by ECMC Foundation, and SeaChange, with additional founding support from Ascendium Education Group and The Kresge Foundation. The Transformational Partnerships Fund supports colleges and universities interested in exploring partnerships and collaborations that could fundamentally transform the way they operate — centering students in solutions that deliver stability and success. Catalytic grants (up to $100,000 per exploration) can be used to engage third-party technical assistance providers knowledgeable in law, finance, governance, fundraising, human resources, and other related fields. These grants may support the exploration of partnerships in many forms — ranging from shared administrative services or consolidated academic offerings on one end of the spectrum, to full mergers on the other. 

Partnerships supported by TPF typically involve two or more degree-granting institutions of higher education. These can include private nonprofit colleges, public universities or systems, community colleges, and (in exceptional situations) for-profit institutions. TPF will not consider grants to single institutions. 

TPF will prioritize partnerships based on the following criteria: 

--One or more of the participating institutions must serve a student population that is at least 25 percent persons of color and/or where 40 percent meet the financial criteria for Pell eligibility; 

--One or more of the participating institutions deem the partnership to be transformational and that, if completed, it would make a material difference to the operations of the institution(s); 

--The partnership, if completed, is expected to produce materially better outcomes for current and/or future students of the institution(s). 

 







Mr. Iwan Notowidigdo 

Senior Grant Development Coordinator 

The University of Texas at San Antonio

College of Education & Human Development (COEHD)

iwan.notowidigdo@utsa.edu 

(Mobile: 347-231-5931) 


NOTE: From Thursday 5/27-Tuesday 6/1, I will be having an out-of-town medical procedure and my ability to respond to emails will be sporadic.